Washing apparatus



Oct. 15, 1963 s. ZARQMB WASHING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 27, 1962 samu- M mZ r M w -i,. M

United States Patent 3,166,925 WASl-EENG APPARATUS Solomon Ear-anal),Baltimore, Md. (376 Monroe St, Passaic, NJ.) Filed Feb. 27, 1952, Ser.No. 175,5351 l Claims. (Cl. 1534-56) This invention relates to washingapparatus.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved apparatus forwashing fruits and vegetables and other articles of like size and shape.

A further object of the invention is to provide a home appliance adaptedfor use with conventionally available water supplies.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means forconverting continuous fluid flow into a discontinuous flow adapted foreffecting a washing operation.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide for effectivelyapplying a washing fluid to articles to be Washed.

Generally speaking, the invention, to achieve the above and other of itsobjectives, contemplates an app-aratus whereby a continuous supply ofwashing water is applied in discrete steps to articles which are to bewashed, the quantities of fluid applied to said articles beingsuccessively drained along with the material washed from said articles.This treatment results in a cyclic flushing action by means of which anefllcient cleaning is effected.

As to the apparatus of the invention, according to a preferredembodiment means are provided for converting a continuous flow ofwashing fluid into a stepwise charge of a container in which washing iseffected. Further, means are provided for draining said container uponan accumulation of a determinable amount of fluid therein.

The invention will be further clarified hereinunder with reference tothe accompanying drawing in which the sole FIGURE diagrammaticallyillustrates apparatus for practicing the invention.

The apparatus in the drawing comprises generally a lower container it)and an upper container 12.

The lower container 1 may be of generally cylindrical form althoughother shapes are permissible within the purview of the invention.

The container includes a bottom 14 and a slide 16 wherein are providedopenings 18, the purpose of which will become hereinafter apparent.

At the bottom of the container 16 is provided a screen or mesh 29 whichis spaced from the bottom 14 of said container the mesh 20 defining withthe bottom a space 22.

Internally of the casing it) is mounted a siphon tube 24 the bentportion 26 of which is located at a determinable height.

The container It is intended to accommodate a multitude of articles 27which are to be subjected to a washing operation.

The upper container 12 is superposed on the lower container '10 and maybe of generally inverted conical shape although other forms arecontemplated within the scope of the invention.

Centrally located with respect to the upper container 12 is a column 28which opens upwardly into ambient atmosphere and opens downwardly intothe interior of the lower container 16. The column 28 is preferablylocated immediately above the siphon tube 24.

Container 12 is provided with a discharge opening 3% intended to beselectively closed by a closure mechanism 32.

Closure mechanism 32 includes a stopper 34, float 36 and weight 38. Aguide 40 is operatively associated with this latter structure.

The apparatus of the invention may preferably be associated with asource 42 of washing fluid which under the control of a valve 44provides a continuous flow of washing fluid such as water via a pipe orconduit .6 into said upper container 12.

According to the technique of the invention water is supplied fromsource 42 via conduit 46 into the upper container 12 wherein the wateraccumulates until the floatation of float 36 on the surface of thewashing fluid causes stopper 3 4 to be withdrawn from discharge opening30.

The arrangement of elements 34, 36 and 38 is obviously diagrammatic andis intended simply to represent means for permitting the periodicaccumulation of fluid in container 12.

Discharge opening Sil is sufficiently large that the washing fluid canescape into lower container 10 at a rate which is faster than that atwhich washing fluid is supplied to upper container 12 via conduit 46.

The washing fluid is charged into lower container 16 until the fluidreaches the height of bent portion 25 of siphon tube 24. At this timethe washing fluid is siphoned from the lower container 10 to withdrawthe fluid contents substantially in entirety from the lower container.

Column 28 provides for a cross-section which is substantially less thanthat of container it? so that an increase in the rate of accumulatedhydraulic or fluid head is provided to assure the priming of the siphonand a rapid draining of the fluid contents of container it from thelatter.

When fluid has drained from the container 12 to a predetermined extentwhich is suificient to assure that the fluid in container it exceeds thedeterminable height of bent portion 26 of siphon tube 24, weight 38causes stopper 34 to close discharge opening 38 so that washing fluidcan again be accumulated in upper container 12 to be dischargedsubstantially instantaneously via discharge opening 3% into container10. The connection 4% between float 36 and weight 33 may be made of anelastic or pleated material so as to permit adequate control of and awider range in the liquid level between the closed and open positions ofstopper 34.

Thus a cyclic operation is provided by means of which water isaccumulated in container 12 to be disch-ar ed into container it) toflush the contents of the latter whereupon the fluid is removed fromcontainer it and the operation is repeated.

According to the preferred technique of the invention, the materialwashed from articles 27 is divided into three categories, to wit: thematerial capable of floating on the washing fluid, the material which iscapable of sinking to the bottom of the washing fluid in container 10and the material which is suspended in said washing fluid. In this textsuspension is meant to include actual suspension as well as solutionsand emulsions into which material leaving articles 27 may pass whensubjected to the washing fluid provided by source 42.

The materials washed from articles 27 which floats on the surface of thewashing fluid is discharged by overflow of the washing fluid viaopenings 18 in side 16 of lower container 1%.

The material sinking in the washing fluid passes through grate 20 intothe space 22 defined between the grate 29 and the bottom 14 of lowercontainer 10.

The remaining material which goes into suspension, solution or emulsionin the washing fluid is siphoned via siphon tube 24 and leaves thecontainer 1% via the bottom of said siphon tube.

According to the invention container 12 is continuously supplied withwashing fluid which is intermittently discharged via discharge opening3% into container it). When the washing fluid reaches a determinableheight in container it it is as was noted above discharged via tube 24from said container.

According to a feature of the invention as noted above column 28 assuressuflicient hydraulic pressure and fluid level due to the fact that itprovides an area of reduced cross-section wherein the level of thewashing fluid rises rapidly when fluid is being charged into the lowercontainer it) from upper container 12 and exceeds the height of bentportion 26. This aspect of the invention assures that the washing fluidis rapidly siphoned from lower container rather than merely slowlypassing therefrom in accordance with the rate at which fluid flows intocontainer 10 via opening 3%.

It will be obvious that the invention has been illustrateddiagrammatically and that more sophisticated versions of the dischargemechanism and control 32 may be provided utilizing electrical sensors orother suitable replacements for the rudimentary form of control whichhas been illustrated.

There will now be obvious to those skilled in the art many modificationsand variations of the structure and technique set forth above. Thesemodifications and variations will not depart from the scope of theinvention it defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus comprising means including first and second compartments,said first compartment being adapted to contain articles to be washed,means in said first compartment to discharge fluid from the same upon anattaining therein of a predetermined height of fluid, said secondcompartment being adapted to receive a continuous inflow of fluid andhaving an outlet opening for discharging said fluid into said firstcompartment, said second compartment constituting substantially the solesource of fluid for the first compartment, and means for accumulating adeterminable quantity of fluid in said second compartment and, upon theattaining therein of a predetermined level of fluid, to discharge saidquantity through said opening, said quantity being suflicient to exceedsaid predetermined height in the first compartment.

2. Washing apparatus comprising upper and lower containers, said lowercontainer being adapted to contain articles to be washed, means in saidlower container to discharge fluid from the same upon the attainingtherein of a predetermined height or" fluid, said upper container beingsuperposed on said lower container and including a column communicatingfreely with both ambient atmosphere and said lower container and openinginto the latter at about said predetermined height, said column having across-section which is substantially smaller than that of said lowercontainer whereby to speed the generation of a fluid head upon anexceeding of said height, sai upper container being adapted to receive acontinuous inflow of fluid and having an outlet opening for dischargingsaid fluid into said lower container, said upper container constitutingthe sole source of fluid for the lower container, and means foraccumulating a determinable quantainer and including a columncommunicating freely with a both ambient atmosphere and said lowercontainer and opening into the latter at about said predeterminedheight, said column' having a cross-section which is substantiallysmaller than that of said lower container where by to speed thegeneration of a fluid head upon an exceeding of said height, said uppercontainer being adapted to receive a continuous inflow of fluid andhaving an outlet opening for discharging said fluid into said lowercontainer, said upper container constituting the sole source of fluidfor thelower container, and means for accumulating a determinablequantity of fluid in said upper container and, upon the attainingtherein of a predetermined level of fluid, to discharge said quantitythrough said opening, said quantity being suflicient to exceed saidpredetermined height in the first compartment.

4. Washing apparatus comprising upper and lower containers, a grate insaid lower container and constituting a bottom therein, said lowercontainer being adapted to contain articles to be washed, 8. siphon insaid lower container and adapted to discharge fluid from the same uponthe attaining therein of a predetermined height of fluid, said uppercontainer being superposed on said lower container and includingatcolumn communicating freely with both ambient atmosphere and saidlower container and opening into the latter at about said predeterminedheight, said column having a cross-section which is substantiallysmaller than that of said lower container whereby to speed thegeneration of a fluid head upon an exceeding of said height, said uppercontainer being adapted to receive a continuous inflow of fluid andhaving an outlet opening for discharging said fluid into said lowercontainer, said upper container constituting the sole source of fluidfor the lower container, and means for accumulating a determinablequantity of fluid in said upper container and, upon the attainingtherein of a predetermined level of fluid, to discharge said quantitythrough said opening, said quantity being suflicient to exceed saidpredetermined height, said lower container having a discharge openingabove said predetermined height in the first compartment.

References Cited in the file of this patent

1. APPARATUS COMPRISING MEANS INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND COMPARTMENTS,SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT BEING ADAPTED TO CONTAIN ARTICLES TO BE WASHED,MEANS IN SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT OF DISCHARGE FLUID FROM THE SAME UPON ANATTAINING THEREIN OF A PREDETERMINED HEIGHT OF FLUID, SAID SECONDCOMPARTMENT BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVED A CONTINUOUS INFLOW OF FLUID ANDHAVING AN OUTLET OPENING FOR DISCHARGING SAID FLUID INTO SAID FIRSTCOMPARTMENT, SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT CONSTITUTING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SOLESOURCE OF FLUID FOR THE FIRST COMPARTMENT, AND MEANS FOR ACCUMULATING ADETERMINABLE QUANTITY OF FLUID IN SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT AND, UPON THEATTAINING THEREIN OF A PREDETERMINED LEVEL OF FLUID, TO DISCHARGE SAIDQUANTITY THROUGH SAID OPENING, SAID QUANTITY BEING SUFFICIENT TO EXCEEDSAID PREDETERMINED HEIGHT IN THE FIRST COMPARTMENT.